You are sound asleep – in the deepest part of your night’s slumber – just minutes before the rude awakening of the alarm clock.

When that annoying beeping brings you back to reality, what’s the first thing that goes through your mind?

Are you just trying to survive the upcoming challenges of your daily life? As you are getting ready for work each morning, do you feel like you control your day, or does your day control you? Do you take charge of your time, or does the clock have you at its mercy?

Whether you run a company with a handful of employees or one with hundreds, time commitments are a part of every day. Meetings, production schedules and personal activities require us to be efficient with our time.

However, that doesn’t mean that our lives have to “run” us. There are three main reasons why you may feel overwhelmed by your busy life instead of in charge of it:

Poor Time Management

If you struggle with running late for work, meetings or appointments, you are not managing your time properly. But why do people struggle with time management?

• Because people are being asked to do more with less. According to statistics from CareerBuilder, 40% of employees in the U.S. feel like they are being asked to do more at work with fewer resources.
• Because they don’t plan ahead. Without a plan anything can (and probably will) get in your way of being productive. Even the best plans can get ruined, so in addition to a plan, always have a backup.
• Because they don’t delegate. Trying to do too much creates a jumbled daily schedule. Turn over responsibilities to the employees you manage. If you don’t feel like you can do this, you may not have the right employees working for you.

Poor Clarity of Action Steps

Meetings are a necessary part of every business, large or small. But what do you want to accomplish from your meetings? What do you want to get out of regular tasks or projects?

How can you take steps to make things clearer for you and your staff?

• By establishing goals prior to every project or meeting. Determine what you want to accomplish from each meeting you schedule. What are the goals for that meeting? Then determine what kind of steps you will need to take during the meeting in order to accomplish those goals.
• By keeping track of what works and what doesn’t work. After a project or meeting has been completed, audit it to determine what went right and what needs improvement. This will help you formulate a better plan for future meetings and projects.
• By having job descriptions and procedures in writing. Every employee of a company should know exactly what his or her role is. There should be few gray areas in a person’s job description. (NOTE: If you’re a business owner, this especially goes for you!)

The same goes for why you do things a certain way at your business. Don’t just assume that everyone knows why you do what you do. Put your processes and procedures in writing. This helps to identify how and why things are done, but it also helps to encourage ideas and suggestions about how they can be done more efficiently.

Low Productivity

When you or your employees don’t meet deadlines, what is the cause? What makes productivity suffer? Here are some of the things that cause low productivity:

• Inadequate training or support – A person is going to avoid his or her weakness, whether it is in work, sports or relationships. If you are a tennis player and you have a weak backhand, you’re going to try to hit fewer backhands in a match. At work, employees who are not as skilled or knowledgeable in certain areas will also avoid them. Providing training to your employees will help them become more self-confident and more talented.
• Stress – Sixty-five percent of U.S. employees report that work-related stress has made their lives more difficult, according to The American Institute of Stress. Anyone that feels stressed is going to be less productive. Lowering workplace stress can include offering incentives like flex time, working from home and awards and recognition based on performance.

Stop “surviving” your workday and your life! Start taking charge by making the “Shift” to a more harmonious life. If you’re ready to run your life instead of allowing it to run you, call me at 404-551-3601 or visit www.BeginToShift.com.

=========================================

So, now that you’ve read  the article, how are you going to use this information to improve your professional and personal life this year?

Please take a moment and share your ideas in the comment section below.

Enjoy the rest of your day!  ~ Kris

=========================================

ABOUT KRIS CAVANAUGH:

Kris Cavanaugh, owner of Shift^TM, is an ICF certified Executive & Life Coach, DiSC Facilitator and Trainer who specializes in helping individuals and companies produce more consistent results and increase their effectiveness so their businesses, organizations, departments, and personal lives thrive. Her background includes over 20 years of experience. She is an expert strategist with an amazing ability to pull her clients through difficult challenges to obtain the results they truly desire. To learn more about Kris Cavanaugh and Shift, go to http://BeginToShift.com. Kris has also authored several books including Standing Naked in the Storm and Stuck to C.E.O.

If you desire to produce more consistent results and increase your effectiveness personally or professionally, call Kris at 404-551-3601 or go to http://begintoshift.com/pages/MakeTheSHIFT to schedule your complimentary meeting today.

To learn more about Kris’ leadership development and other corporate programs, click here: Corporate Programs.

Need a Speaker?
Kris Cavanaugh is a Professional Member of the NSA (National Speakers Association).  If you or people you know are seeking speakers, panelists, or workshop instructors for any type of association, corporate, nonprofit or industry meeting, please contact Shift, Inc., at kris@begintoshift.com.  You can learn more about Kris’ presentations at http://kriscavanaughlive.com.